Bible Commentaries

Exodus 9:23 — Verse Exodus 9:23. The Lord sent thunder — קלת koloth, voices; but loud, repeated peals of thunder are meant.And the fire ran along upon the ground — ותהלך אש ארצה vattihalac esh aretsah, and the fire walked upon the earth. It was not a sudden flash of lightning, but a devouring fire, walking through every part, destroying both animals and vegetables; and its progress was irresistible.

Exodus 9:27 — Verse Exodus 9:27. The Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. — The original is very emphatic: The Lord is THE RIGHTEOUS ONE, (הצדיק hatstaddik), and I and my people are THE SINNERS, (הרשעים hareshaim); i.e., He is alone righteous, and we alone are transgressors. Who could have imagined that after such an acknowledgment and confession, Pharaoh should have again hardened his heart?

Exodus 9:7 — Verse Exodus 9:7. And Pharaoh sent, &c. — Finding so many of his own cattle and those of his subjects slain, he sent to see whether the mortality had reached to the cattle of the Israelites, that he might know whether this were a judgment inflicted by their God, and probably designing to replace the lost cattle of the Egyptians with those of the Israelites.

1 Kings 10:23 — Verse 23. Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches — Mr. Reynolds, stating the yearly tribute of Solomon, 666 talents of gold, at about four times as much as his father left him, hence reckons that he had £4,909,371 8s. 8d. each year, £94,410 19s. 9 1/4d. per week, £13,487 5s. 8d. per day, taking each day, week, and year, one with another.

2 Kings 3:9 — Verse 2 Kings 3:9. A compass of seven days' journey — By taking a circuitous route, to go round the southern part of the Dead Sea, they probably intended to surprise the Moabites; but it appears their journey was ill planned, as they at last got into a country in which it was impossible to obtain water, and they were brought in consequence to the utmost extremity.

2 Kings 9:24 — Verse 2 Kings 9:24. Drew a bow with his full strength — The marginal reading is correct: He filled his hand with a bow. That is, "He immediately took up his bow, set his arrow, and let fly." This is the only meaning of the passage.Between his arms — That is, between his shoulders; for he was now turned, and was flying from Jehu.

2 Chronicles 13:9 — Verse 2 Chronicles 13:9. A young bullock and seven rams — He who could provide these for his own consecration was received into the order of this spurious and wicked priesthood. Some think he who could give to Jeroboam a young bullock and seven rams, was thereby received into the priesthood; this being the price for which the priesthood was conferred. The former is most likely.

2 Chronicles 15:9 — Verse 2 Chronicles 15:9. And the strangers — Many out of the different tribes, particularly out of Simeon, Ephraim, and Manasseh, having reflected that the Divine blessing was promised to the house of David, and finding the government of Jeroboam founded in idolatry, would naturally, through a spirit of piety, leave their own country, and go where they might enjoy the worship of the true God.

Esther 9:31 — Verse Esther 9:31. As they had decreed for themselves and for their seed — There is no mention of their receiving the approbation of any high priest, nor of any authority beyond that of Mordecai and Esther; the king could not join in such a business, as he had nothing to do with the Jewish religion, that not being the religion of the country.

Job 32:9 — Verse Job 32:9. Great men are not always wise — This is a true saying, which the experience of every age and every country increasingly verifies. And it is most certain that, in the case before us, the aged did not understand judgment; they had a great many wise and good sayings, which they had collected, but showed neither wisdom nor discretion in applying them.

Job 9:2 — Verse Job 9:2. I know it is so of a truth — I acknowledge the general truth of the maxims you have advanced. God will not ultimately punish a righteous person, nor shall the wicked finally triumph; and though righteous before man, and truly sincere in my piety, yet I know, when compared with the immaculate holiness of God, all my righteousness is nothing.

Psalms 17:9 — Verse Psalms 17:9. From my deadly enemies, who compass me about. — This is a metaphor taken from huntsmen, who spread themselves around a large track of forest, driving in the deer from every part of the circumference, till they are forced into the nets or traps which they have set for them in some particular narrow passage. The metaphor is carried on in the following verses.

Psalms 44:9 — Verse Psalms 44:9. But thou hast cast off — Our enemies have dominion over us.And goest not forth with our armies. — Were we to attempt to muster our several tribes, and form a host, like our fathers when they came out of Egypt, thou wouldst not accompany us as thou didst them: the horses and chariots of the Babylonians would soon overtake and destroy us.

Isaiah 41:9 — Verse Isaiah 41:9. And called thee from the chief men thereof - "And called from the extremities thereof"] אציל מאציליה atsil meatsileyha, signifies the arm, ascilla, ala; and is used like כנף canaph, "the wing," for any thing extended from the extremity of another, or joined on to it. It is here parallel with and synonymous to מקצות mikkatsoth, "from the ends," in the preceding member.

Jeremiah 9:21 — Verse Jeremiah 9:21. For death is come up into our windows — Here DEATH is personified, and represented as scaling their wall; and after having slain the playful children without, and the vigorous youth employed in the labours of the field, he is now come into the private houses, to destroy the aged and infirm; and into the palaces, to destroy the king and the princes.

Deuteronomy 19:9 — Verse Deuteronomy 19:9. Shalt thou add three cities more — This was afterwards found necessary, and accordingly six cities were appointed, three on either side Jordan. See Joshua 21:1-3, c. In imitation of these cities of refuge the heathens had their asyla, and the Catholics their privileged altars. Exodus 21:13; Exodus 21:13 "Exodus 21:14"; and "Numbers 35:11", &c.

Joshua 18:25 — Verse Joshua 18:25. Gibeon — See before, Joshua 10:1-14. This place is famous for the confederacy of the five kings against Israel, and their miraculous defeat. Ramah, a place about six or eight miles north of Jerusalem. Beeroth, i.e., wells; one of the four cities which belonged to the Gibeonites, who made peace with the Israelites by stratagem. See Joshua 9:3-15.

1 Samuel 10:25 — Verse 1 Samuel 10:25. The manner of the kingdom — It is the same word as in 1 Samuel 8:9; and doubtless the same thing is implied as is there related. But possibly there was some kind of compact or covenant between them and Saul; and this was the thing that was written in a book, and laid up before the Lord, probably near the ark.

1 Samuel 24:14 — Verse 1 Samuel 24:14. After a dead dog — A term used among the Hebrews to signify the most sovereign contempt; see 2 Samuel 16:9. One utterly incapable of making the least resistance against Saul, and the troops of Israel. The same idea is expressed in the term flea. The Targum properly expresses both thus: one who is weak, one who is contemptible.

1 Samuel 4:9 — Verse 1 Samuel 4:9. Be strong, c. — This was the address to the whole army, and very forcible it was. "If ye do not fight, and acquit yourselves like men, ye will be servants to the Hebrews, as they have been to you and you may expect that they will avenge themselves of you for all the cruelty you have exercised towards them."